Fading Light
by bjames238
Summary: A.U./A.H. Stelena. Two strangers meet in an elevator and experience a traumatic event together. Was it meant to be or just a freak accident? Stefan and Elena are about to find out. Complete.


** Fading Light**

Stefan/Elena A.U./A.H

Author's Note: lyrics in italics from the song "Longest Night" by Howie Day.

_Is it dark where you are_

_Can you count the stars where you are_

"Good morning Mr. Salvatore, this is Mr. Douglas from your insurance company. I don't mean to call so early, but there's some more paperwork I need you to fill out concerning the fire . . . if you could just call me back as soon as you get this that would be great. Thanks again, Mr. Salvatore . . ." The answering machine beeped.

Stefan turned over, pulling his pillow over his head. What paperwork? Hadn't he done all that already? He sighed, leaning over to pick up his cellphone. He dialed his insurance agent's number, sitting up as it rang.

"This is Frank Douglas, how can I help you?"

"Hi, it's Stefan Salvatore," Stefan said. "I got your message."

"Yes thank you, Mr. Salvatore," Mr. Douglas said. Stefan heard papers shuffle in the background. "There's just a couple of forms I need you to read and sign."

"I thought we went through all of it," Stefan sighed. "It's been months."

"I know, and I thought we had too," Mr. Douglas said. "I'm truly sorry, Mr. Salvatore. I know how much you wanted to put this behind you . . ."

"Yeah . . ." Stefan rubbed his eyes. He had a feeling he wasn't going back to sleep. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of the empty other side of the bed and the picture on the nightstand next to it. "When should we do this?"

"Whenever is most convenient to you," Mr. Douglas said. "How about . . . this afternoon, at two?"

"Ah . . ." Stefan mentally checked his schedule. "Sure. That'll be fine."

"Thanks again," Mr. Douglas said. "I'll see you this afternoon, Mr. Salvatore."

"Yep," Stefan said. They both hung up and Stefan put his phone back on the nightstand on his side of the bed. He sighed, throwing back the covers and crawling off the bed.

As he crossed the room, a slight breeze from the ceiling fan sent a smell his way . . . lavender.

Her perfume.

For just a moment, he'd forgotten. The scent sent him reeling and he had to sit down before he lost his balance. He ended up on the bench-chair of her vanity . . . where she'd sit at night or in the morning and brush her long, curly, silk-chocolate locks. Everything was exactly as she'd left it. Her makeup, the bottles of her perfume, her jewelry, various pieces of paper with notes for work . . .

He remembered the day distinctly when he'd received the phone call. He'd been at the school in the middle of practice, calling out drills, when a lanky teenage boy ran out on the field calling his name. He remembered with disgust exactly what the boy had said:

_"Mr. Salvatore! Mr. Salvatore . . . come quick! Something happened!"_

Something indeed had happened . . . his wife Katherine was dead. The building where she worked had caught fire and she hadn't made it out in time.

That was three months ago.

And now . . . his world was falling apart. She'd been his whole life. They'd been dancing around each other their whole lives before they started dating in college and then they got married . . . and she was just . . . gone.

He knew it was only a matter of time before he lost his job coaching. He's missed so many days he couldn't count anymore. He felt as if the light had been squashed out of his life and he was left in the dark. Nothing was okay anymore and he didn't know how to fix it.

He just wanted the darkness to go away.

_Do you feel like you are_

_A thousand miles from home?_

"Hey Elena, Matt – it's Bonnie . . . just wanted to call and check in. It's been awhile since we talked. How's the wedding plans going? Just a couple months left until the big day, you guys must be so excited! Oh, crap, I gotta cut this short or I'll be late for Evie's recital. Talk to you later!"

As Elena lay there, listening to the message, her fingers played with the simple silver band on her ring finger. Her fiancé slept soundly beside her, tired from his all-night shift at the airport. She, however, was wide awake. Lately she felt as if something was . . . missing. She was happy with her life, but . . . it just wasn't right.

On the nightstand next to her bed, the alarm went off. She reached over and turned it off before it would wake Matt. Time to get up . . .

She pushed back the covers, standing. Yawning, she made her way to the bathroom and turned the light on. Seeing her reflection in the mirror, she sighed. There were bags under her eyes. She looked horrible. She didn't even feel right. She felt empty.

Lifting her hand, she saw herself with the ring on. It didn't look right. But why? She loved Matt, didn't she? They'd known each other since they shared a crib and hadn't ever been apart. They dated all through high school and then college and now were getting married. Wasn't that the way it was supposed to be? Shouldn't she be happy? Shouldn't she be excited to be spending the rest of her life with the man she loved?

She dropped her hand, picking up her toothbrush. Squirting toothpaste on it, she started to brush her teeth. She tried to remember the last time she hadn't felt this wrong. She honestly couldn't. She wanted to say it was junior year in college before her best friend Dana found out she had cancer and died before the year was over. Or maybe it was freshman year of college when her dog Gabriel died. No . . .

It was the end of her junior year of high school when she lost her parents to an accident that was her fault. If she hadn't gone to that party instead of staying home for family night they wouldn't have had to come get her. And . . . their car wouldn't have hit the black ice and crashed over old Wickery Bridge.

She rinsed out her mouth and cleaned out the toothbrush, putting it back in its place in the cup next to Matt's. She just stared in the mirror again.

She sometimes wondered why she survived that accident. Why her? Why not her father who was a doctor. Or her mother who was her best friend in the entire world? Why? What was _she_ meant to do?

Suddenly the sound of her work ringtone filled the room. She rushed back into their bedroom, picking up her purse off the floor next to her nightstand. She dug inside, picking up her cell phone, and answered.

"Hello?" She said.

"Elena Gilbert? Ya, it's Jerry," The voice of her boss, Jerry McCann spoke. "I need you to come in earlier. The temp girl replacing what's-her-face quit."

Elena sighed. Sometimes she really hated her job. Her first year out of college, she hadn't expected to end up being the mail girl at an insurance agency. And she certainly didn't expect to be working for an ass like Jerry McCann.

"Um . . . okay. I'll get there as soon as I can." Elena said.

"Yeah," was all Mr. McCann said before hanging up.

Elena sighed, closing her cell phone. She stood there for a moment, just watching Matt sleep. His blonde hair wisped in front of his eyes, swaying every time the fan blew over it. She'd told him a million times to go get that cut but he never did . . . . He always 'forgot.' Shaking her head, she sighed before rushing around the room to get ready for work. As she got ready she wondered if things would ever get better . . . if the dark feeling in her heart would ever go away.

_Are you lost where you are?_

_Can you find your way when you're so far_

"And . . . right here," Mr. Douglas pointed to a dotted line.

Stefan signed what was hopefully the last of the forms.

"There, that's it," Mr. Douglas skimmed through the papers one last time before putting the papers back in order. "We are all done."

Stefan breathed a sigh of relief, setting the pen down on Mr. Douglas's desk. "That's really it." Stefan said.

"Yes," Mr. Douglas nodded.

Stefan was quiet for a moment, letting out another sigh of relief. The last of the paperwork was finished. "So . . . we're done?"

"We are," Mr. Douglas said.

Stefan breathed. He pushed back in the chair, standing. He picked up his jacket off the back of the chair, putting it on. Mr. Douglas was watching him, expecting him to say something, but Stefan didn't know what to say. All he knew was that his wife was dead and he would be alone from now on.

"Mr. Salvatore?" Mr. Douglas said. Stefan looked up, disrupted from his thoughts. "Again, I'm truly sorry for your loss."

Stefan nodded. That's all he'd been hearing—from everyone—in the last three months. How sorry they were that his wife was gone. As if that would bring her back. He shook Mr. Douglas's hand and walked away, ready to never step foot in this place again.

_Do you fear where you are_

_A thousand nights alone_

Elena threw away the garbage from her late lunch and grabbed a hold of her cart. Sighing, she continued her usual rotation around the building, starting on the main floor and working her way up the three floors. It was the same thing every day . . . delivering mail, fetching coffee, picking up dry cleaning . . .

Just a day in the life of a nobody temp like her.

It was well past two in the afternoon – almost three – and Elena had been there for going on eight hours. She had a little over an hour left but the way the day had been dragging her last hour would probably feel like forever.

"Hey Eleanor!"

A voice called behind Elena and she sighed. She'd been there a year . . . couldn't people get her name right? She turned around, putting on a fake smile. It was Jerry, holding a big yellow envelope in his hands.

"Yeah, it's Elena," She sighed.

"Whatever," Jerry ignored what she said. "I need you to take this downstairs to Mason in accounting right away."

"Mr. Lockwood?" Elena said.

"Yes," Jerry nodded, handing her the envelope. He walked away, disappearing around corner.

Elena sighed. She'd already been in accounting – twice. "You're welcome . . ." She set the envelope on the top of her cart, heading to the elevator. She pushed the down button, waiting for the doors to open.

As she waited, she thought again for the millionth time that day about Bonnie's message that morning. She couldn't remember how long it had been since Matt or her had been back to their hometown of in-the-middle-of-nowhere Virginia. Ages at least . . . was it junior year of college?

The elevator bell dinged, the doors parting. Elena yawned, pushing the mail cart into the elevator. She looked up, noticing a man with light, sandy brown hair already in the elevator. He was staring at her strangely. She didn't recognize him, so why was he staring at her so strangely?

Shrugging, she pushed the floor she needed and leaned against the wall. The elevator doors closed and started going down.

"Um . . ." The man next to her mumbled. "Do I know you?"

She turned to look at him, raising her eyebrow. "I . . . I don't think so. Why?"

"It's just . . ." He looked down. "You look so much like someone I know – knew."

"Oh," She shrugged. She didn't remember ever meeting him so she didn't think anything of it. Maybe he was mistaking her for someone else.

They were silent as the elevator continued its journey down. And then . . . it stopped suddenly—jerking. Elena reached for the railing, holding on. Maybe it was stuck or something. She looked over to the man. He looked a little shaken up but not overly worried.

Out of nowhere everything shook so violently that Elena could literally feel her insides slosh around. Her hold on the rail loosened and she sunk to the ground, hitting her head on the wall. She felt something wet drip down her face. She screamed as she watched her mail cart shake and fall right towards her just as the lights went out . . .

_So here we are set into motion_

_We'll steal a car and crash in the ocean_

Stefan's stomach lurched when the elevator started to shake so violently. When it had first stopped, he'd been worried at first but hadn't much thought of it. Creaky elevators always had their quirks. But when the tremors – this was New York, after all – started he realized it wasn't just a quirky elevator. No, it was an earthquake.

He noticed the girl next to him panicking, holding onto the wall rails tightly. Then the shaking worsened and he himself grabbed hold of the rail for support, almost slipping. That was when he saw the girl's grip loosen and she sunk to the floor. She hit her head . . . blood dripped down the side of her head.

He was about to help her up when the tremors worsened yet and everything around them shook and his vision blurred. The lights from the elevator flashed before blinking out completely. He heard the girl scream and something crashed . . .

Seconds later a set of emergency lights blinked on, setting the entire elevator in an eerie red glow. Stefan steadied himself, trying to get used to the lights. He blinked, seeing the girl's mail cart tipped on its side.

The girl . . .

Through the garish light, Stefan blinked again and rubbed his eyes. His eyes widened then when he saw long legs sticking out from under the cart. He sprang into action, pushing the cart up and off the girl.

Blood matted on the side of her head, looking black in the red light. He knelt at her side. As soon as his knees touched the ground she gasped, her eyes opening. Tears pooled in her eyes and she started crying. "Oh god . . . I'm bleeding . . ." She tried to get up but Stefan shook his head.

He rested a hand on her shoulder to keep her down. She hissed, flinching, so he pulled his hand back. "Ssshhh, it's okay. Just take it slow. You hit your head and the cart fell on you . . . I think your shoulder might be broken."

"What happened?" She stared up into his eyes as if he were her only salvation and Stefan suddenly felt very uneasy.

"Um . . . I think there was an earthquake," He told her. She ever-so-slightly nodded her head, wincing as she did so. He took off his jacket. "Here." He folded it up, gently lifting her head and setting his jacket there as a makeshift pillow.

"Thank you," She said.

He reached in his back pocket and took out his cellphone. "Damn . . . no signal." The girl sighed. "Do you have a cell phone? Maybe yours has reception."

"Aah . . . it's in my purse upstairs," She let out a breath.

"Oh." He let out a breath, "I'm Stefan, by the way." She just looked at him. "Well . . . we seem to be stuck in here. Might as well be on a first name basis."

"Elena," She said, wincing. "Ow . . . my head hurts."

"Your fall was pretty bad," He said. He turned to the elevator door. It was closed and none of the power lights were on at all. He stood up, going over to the doors. He tried to pry the doors open . . . but they were just too heavy and too stuck. He groaned, frustrated. Sighing, panting, he let his fingers fall. He turned back to Elena. "They're stuck. I can't get them open."

"It'll be okay," She said. "I'm sure someone'll get us out soon."

Stefan studied the panel where all the floor buttons were. "Isn't there some kind of emergency button or something on here? Or a phone at least?"

"No," Elena shook her head, immediately wishing she hadn't moved. "It's an older building and nothing's up to date."

Stefan sighed, "Well that's just . . . wonderful."

"Hey, can you help me sit up?" Elena hissed, her shoulder moving the wrong way. "It hurts to lay down."

"Oh, um . . . sure," Stefan stood next to her, going to grab her by the arms. Then he stopped. "Ah . . . the easiest way would be to pull you up by the waist. I don't want to do any more damage to your shoulder."

Despite the pain she was in, a smile graced Elena's lips. "Yeah, okay."

He nodded, hesitating a moment before gently setting his hands on her waist. She tensed a little when his hands settled on her waist but after a few seconds she relaxed. He helped her sit up and lean against the wall. "Is that better?" He stood up again, backing up from her a bit – giving her space. She seemed to relax a little more with his distance.

She nodded, "Much. But, ah . . ." Her uninjured arm rested on her side and she hissed in pain. "Ow . . . I think I might have cracked a rib . . ."

"We need to get out of here . . ." Stefan observed. Hopefully she didn't have more injuries . . .

"Ow . . . yeah, I agree," She sighed, her face scrunched in pain.

_You and I, caught in a fading light_

_On the longest night . . ._

It had been a long while since the earthquake and with every passing hour the air in the small enclosed space became thinner and hotter. The bleeding on Elena's head had stopped but her shoulder and ribs were getting more painful. She was stiff from just sitting there and the heat made it hard to breathe. Sweat dripped from both of them. Stefan had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt hours ago. Elena – with some assistance from Stefan – discarded the thin cardigan she'd had over a tank top.

They hadn't had any communication with anyone outside of the elevator. Stefan kept trying to find a way out or at least a way to get in touch with someone but he just wasn't having any luck. That and the heat was eating up his energy. Elena could tell he was trying to stay calm with her but she could also see that he too—like her—was scared.

He was a perfect gentlemen though. Every couple of minutes or so he'd ask her how she was doing to which she'd always answer 'ask me later." She was beginning to tire and the pain from her shoulder and head and ribs was wearing her out and she was so hot and sleepy . . .

"Hey!"

Elena jerked awake. Stefan was kneeling next to her, holding her, an arm around her waist and his other hand resting on her back. "W-what . . ." She mumbled. He was staring intently in her eyes. Their closeness and his intense gaze made her heart jump.

"You blacked out," He looked worried. Had she really? It only felt like she dozed off . . . "You were telling me that it was starting to hurt worse and . . . you just blacked out."

"I did?" Her vision was a little blurry. She shook her head and it cleared up.

"Yeah," He released her from his hold, leaning her back against the wall. She jerked her head, nodding. "You might have a concussion . . . I shouldn't let you fall asleep."

She nodded. "Okay . . ." Then her eyes felt droopy . . .

"Hey, why don't we talk about something," His loud-on-purpose voice jerked her awake again.

"Sure . . ." She nodded, using her un-hurt arm to rub her eyes.

"Tell me something," Stefan said, shifting so he was sitting next to her. "So . . . you're a mail girl?"

Rubbing her eyes again, Elena nodded. "Y-yeah. I've only been out of college for a year." A twinge of pain from her ribs went straight to her eyelids and they started to close . . .

"So . . ." Stefan's voice was loud again and Elena's eyes widened as she fought to stay awake. "What did you major in?"

Elena had to think a minute . . . she was starting to get a headache. "Um . . . writing . . ."

"Writing," Stefan repeated, still talking loudly to keep her awake.

"Literature," Elena said. Her eyes felt really heavy . . .

"No, no, no . . . stay with me."

Elena jerked awake again. Stefan's hands were on either side of her face, his eyes right where hers were. "It's so hot in here . . ." Her words slurred. "And I'm so tired . . ."

"I know," Stefan nodded. "I know you're tired but you need to stay awake. Someone will come and you need to be awake." Elena nodded, trying to hold her eyes open. She focused on his soft, green eyes.

It was like that for what felt like hours. Stefan would try to keep her talking so she'd stay awake. When she started to doze off again he'd gently shake her. She told him about her job and how she hated it and how she wanted to someday write a novel that would really speak to someone. She told him about growing up in Virginia and her fiancé Matt and her brother Jeremy and his wife Bonnie and their daughter Evie and her best friend Caroline and her parents and her aunt Jenna and uncle Ric . . . Time felt disjointed to Elena. She didn't know how much had passed. It could have been days and she wouldn't know the difference.

The pain was beginning to become unbearable and she was tired and hungry and hot and thirsty and scared and in pain . . .

She didn't even know she was crying until Stefan shook her awake again and she heard him say "Elena, don't cry. We'll get out of here . . . we will."

"I-I'm scared . . ." Her voice was barely above a whisper. Her throat was dry and sticky. Why hadn't anyone come to get them yet? Didn't anyone notice she was gone? Wasn't Matt wondering where she was? Oh god, Matt . . . She couldn't breathe. What if they never got out of there? What if she fell asleep? What if she never woke up? What if—

"I know," Stefan pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her. He was a stranger, she'd never met him before, but right now . . . right now in his arms she felt safer than any other moment in her life. "I am too . . ." He held her tight and as the moments passed her heavy crying slowed to a sniffle.

Her breathing steadied and she found herself staring in Stefan's eyes again. His eyes were so beautifully green; they were deep and kind and seemed as if they were piercing deep in her soul. He gently set her back on the floor next to him. "H-how long has it been?" She felt a little more awake now.

Stefan reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He swallowed. "A little over ten hours . . ." Elena nodded. Had it only been ten hours? "How are you feeling?" Honestly, she didn't know what to say. Her look must have said it all though, because Stefan nodded. He seemed to be able to read her.

"Stefan?" She said. "Before . . . before the earthquake when I walked into the elevator . . ." She took a deep breath. "You said you thought I was someone you knew."

Stefan nodded, his gaze down toward the floor.

"Who was she?" Elena asked, curious. "When you first saw me, all the color drained from your face and . . . you looked like you'd seen a ghost." She hoped he wouldn't be angry with her question. She just couldn't get that look on his face out of her mind.

"Um . . ." Stefan was still looking at the floor, seemingly deep in thought.

"You don't have to say anything . . . I was just curious," Elena said quietly. Pain spread down her arm and she adjusted, cradling her hurt arm with her other one. It was then that she saw the pain on his face – deep, dark emotional pain. She guessed it was probably someone female in his life that he'd lost – someone that looked like her, someone very near and dear to him.

"Yeah . . ." He choked on his words, nodding. "H-Her name is—w-was . . . Katherine." His voice caught on her name.

Elena just nodded. She didn't want to push. They were stuck in here for who knows how much longer so they had the time.

"My wife," Stefan slid the wedding ring he still wore off his finger. He rolled it around in his hand. "Tthere was a fire where she worked." He exhaled, staring at the ring in his hand. It was at least three or four minutes before he spoke again, still staring at the ring. "She didn't make it . . ."

Elena nodded, feeling for him. Her uncle Rick – her aunt Jenna's husband – had lost his wife Isobel when their home had been robbed. He'd met Elena's aunt over two years after and still it took a long time for Jenna to break down the walls the loss had left behind.

"A-and you—" Stefan looked up, staring into Elena's tear-stained eyes. "You look _so_ much like her."

"How long has it been?" Elena wondered aloud.

Stefan sighed, "Three months." She saw him slip the ring back on his finger.

Elena didn't say anything. She'd only ever been with Matt and she hadn't lost him. Though she was starting to think he'd lost her . . . She did remember how painful it had been when her parents died. So, she said the only thing that came to mind. The same thing people had asked her for months and she'd always answer "I'm fine" but never really meant it. But really, she didn't know what else to say. "Are you okay?"

Stefan didn't say anything. Elena nodded, somewhat understanding what he was feeling. More time passed and they were both quiet for awhile. He watched her closely to make sure she didn't fall asleep, but neither of them said anything.

She suddenly found herself wondering why he was in the insurance agency. He didn't seem like he worked there. Then she remembered he'd said his wife died in a fire. Maybe there was forms or something to fill out.

The elevator shifted and Elena instantly found herself reaching desperately for Stefan's hand. He, too, grabbed hold of her hand and squeezed tight. Metal creaked and the whole elevator fell a few feet before jerking to a full stop again. Elena screamed and found herself in Stefan's arms again.

The sudden movement caught up with her and Elena whimpered. Her ribs felt like they were scraping inside and her shoulder throbbed. Her head was bleeding again and pain shot between her eyes. Pain blurred her vision. She tried to say something but it just came out slurred. Her entire body felt like it was boiling, sweat dripping everywhere. A horribly loud ringing sound filled her ears.

"Elena . . ." She could hear Stefan talk and see his blurred lips move but she couldn't answer. "Elena, come on. Stay awake!" He shook her and she fought with all she could not to fall asleep.

Then she felt the bile rise in her throat. She jerked her head and threw up on the floor of the elevator. A coppery metallic taste filled her mouth and she knew even in the red light that it was blood. Tears streaked her cheeks. The pain started to numb. Stefan became a blur in front of her, darkening, until he was simply gone.

_It's enough, just to find love_

_It's the only thing to be sure of_

The next half an hour honestly felt to Stefan as if it were longer than the ten hours before it. When the elevator dropped and Elena fell in his arms, he knew it wasn't going to end well. She was already injured and was barely hanging on the way it was. He shook her, "Elena! Elena, please. Wake up!"

She didn't comply. Her entire body was limp. Blood flowed in a river down the side of her head and stained the area around her mouth.

"Elena!"

He set her on the ground, pulling out his cell phone. He desperately searched the entire elevator, trying to find a signal but found none. Then the phone dropped to the floor, shattering. "Damnit!" He cursed. He rushed to the elevator doors and started pounding on them, hoping there would be someone, anyone, nearby to hear. "Help! Please, I need help! Please!"

He stopped, listening for a moment, hoping to hear movement or voices or anything. When he heard nothing, he began pounding again for what seemed like forever "Help, we need help down here! Anybody, please!"

"Hello?" The noise was barely there and at first Stefan was sure he'd been hallucinating.

"Help! We need help!

"Is there somebody down there?" This time Stefan was sure he'd heard it.

"Yes, yes . . . please, we're trapped!" Stefan shouted.

"There's someone else in there with you?" The gruff male voice shouted.

"A woman!" Stefan shouted. "She's unconscious and bleeding!"

"Stay calm, my team of Search & Rescue are right behind me. Just stay calm, we'll get you out."

"Please hurry!" Stefan shouted.

"What's your name, son?" The voice shouted.

"Stefan!" He shouted. He heard the sound of some kind of power tool and felt the elevator doors shake. Then the doors opened a bit. A burst of cool, fresh air hit his face and he breathed deeply. "Stefan Salvatore . . ."

A face peeked through the partially open doors. The man's yellow helmet didn't even fit all the way through the opening. There were glasses covering his eyes, padding over his mouth and all Stefan could see were the whites of his eyes through the glasses.

"We'll get you both out, Mr. Salvatore. My name is Larry. Everything is going to be okay." Larry spoke calmly. Noise echoed in the hall behind him and he turned.

"What'd we got, Larry?" Someone shouted.

"Male and female," Larry said from where he lay on his stomach in front of the doors. "Female's bleeding and unconscious. Male seems okay." Larry turned back to Stefan.

"W-We've been in here all day, since the earthquake," Stefan told him. "Ten hours . . . or is it eleven?"

"How long has your wife been unconscious, Mr. Salvatore?" Larry asked.

He told Larry how she'd passed out not even a half hour ago. He couldn't even comprehend the fact that Larry had just called her his wife. "Her name is Elena, um . . . I don't know anything else. Um . . . she works here though."

"Okay, thanks son," Larry Elena to his knees, still watching Stefan. "Just stay calm, we'll have the two of you out of here in no time. Right now I need you to use that jacket next to Elena and cover her head with it, okay? I don't want anything to get in her cuts."

Stefan nodded, doing as the man said. He gently picked Elena up and held her in his lap. He spread his jacket over her, holding her tight. He didn't watch as the search and rescue team used their tools to cut and pry and blast their way through the doors. Before he knew what was happening, four or five men dressed head to toe in yellow protective gear were taking Elena They lifted her out of the elevator and onto a stretcher and all Stefan could think about was where were they taking her?

Then two or three more men were grabbing him by the shoulders and lifting him out of the elevator and guiding him through the wreckage. He didn't see or hear or think about anything around him except the girl he'd only known for eleven hours. Would she be okay? Where were they taking her? Would he see her again?

"Let's get you out of here," Stefan recognized the voice; it was Larry again right next to him, guiding him out of the building.

"W-Where is she?" Stefan found that everything around him was a blur. The sudden coolness of the air pricked his skin, sending goosebumps up and down his arms.

"Your wife is being airlifted to the hospital," Larry told him. "An officer will take you there now."

He tried to tell everyone around him that Elena wasn't his wife and he'd just met her today but no one was letting him say anything. They shuffled him through the disaster site quickly and into the back of a police car. The hard plastic seat sent an instant pain up his stiff spine. Two officers – a man in the passenger's seat and a woman in the driver's seat – sat up front on the other side of the fencing. They were talking, not even acknowledging Stefan's presence.

All Stefan could do was watch though the windows as the New York traffic passed him by. It was even more congested than usual with the earthquake. Power lines were down, buildings were torn apart, everyone was in a panic. When they reached the hospital one of the officers led him into the building, talked to a doctor who introduced herself as Meredith Fell, and left. Meredith started leading him through the hospital. She was starting to ask Stefan questions about his 'wife': her blood type, insurance, medications taken, past surgeries . . .

"She's not my wife," Stefan blurted.

Meredith stopped in her tracks, turning to face Stefan.

"She's not my wife," Stefan repeated. "I just met her today, in the elevator. I don't even know her last name." The nurse gave him a puzzled look. "I tried telling them that, but . . ."

"No one let you get a word in edgewise, huh?" Meredith guessed. Stefan nodded. She sighed. "Well . . . do you know of anyone we can contact for her?"

"Um . . . she mentioned something about a fiancé. Matt, I think it was. A-And she was talking about growing up in, um . . . Mystic Falls, Virginia."

"Okay . . . that we can work with. Mystic Falls sounds like a small enough town that if we ask they should know who she is." The doctor nodded. Stefan just stood there. "If you want you can wait in the family lounge and I'll let you know when Elena is done in surgery." Stefan just nodded. Meredith led him to a medium-sized room.

_So hard to let go of_

_A thousand times or more_

After what felt like hours of staring at the walls and waiting the same nurse from before came in the room. Meredith gave him a sympathetic look. "Mr. Salvatore?"

He blinked, standing to look at her. "Is she okay?"

"She's out of surgery and in recovery down the hall. She had some internal bleeding, a cracked rib, broken shoulder, and they were able to stop the bleeding on her head. However, she is healing quite nicely," Meredith told him. Stefan nodded, relieved. "We made some calls to the hospital in her small town . . . her name is Elena Gilbert. We tracked down her fiancé and he's on his way."

"Good," Stefan nodded. "That's good." The nurse left again and Stefan let out a deep breath. He Elena to stand and his feet subconsciously carried him down the hall, following signs to find the surgery recovery wing.

He read the names on the charts outside the door until he found where she was. He slowly opened the door, relieved to find that there wasn't anyone in the room with her.

She was asleep on the bed, a sling now covering her shoulder. The blood was gone and a gauze wrap covered her pretty brown hair. She seemed so peaceful—nothing like that scared woman he'd gotten to know in that elevator.

Seeing this woman so still and so pale was unnerving, bringing too many memories of staring at the corpse of his burned, gauze-wrapped wife only months before. The resemblance was chilling, apparent now more than ever with the lack of makeup and color on Elena's face.

Why had he met her today? This woman who could be his wife's twin? Why?

He glanced back at Elena's sleeping form, frowning when her left eyebrow twinged and her lips mumbled incoherently. Her head turned, fear staining her pretty face. Instinct brought him to her side immediately. He gently picked up her hand and rubbed soothing circles between her thumb and pointer finger. Her mumbling continued, but he felt her relax if only the slightest.

He felt unexplainably taken by this woman who shared his wife's face. It had nothing to do with how she looked, actually . . . no, it was her. It was the way she'd held on so bravely for so long despite her pain and fear. The way she'd talked about her family and friends . . . he could tell that she cared about them very much. It reminded him of his family – his brother Damon and his wife Lexi and their two young children, his mother Marybeth and his father Giuseppe. None of them he really saw or talked to much anymore . . .

"Excuse me?" Stefan let Elena's hand fall and turned around to find a younger man with longer blonde hair dressed all in denim standing in the doorway. The man looked like your average All-American small town quarter-back . . . and about Elena's age. There was something about him that bothered Stefan . . . but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

"Are you Matt?" Stefan asked.

"Ya." Matt glanced the other man over suspiciously. "Do I know you?"

Stefan shrugged, swallowing. "I'm just a guy. I helped Elena through the earthquake." Matt nodded. "That's quite the special girl you've got."

Matt smirked. "Don't I know it? We're engaged."

"Congratulations." Stefan sighed. He turned to leave, passing Matt. Just as he was about to go through the door, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around.

"Thanks," Matt held out his hand. "Thank you for bringing her back to me."

Stefan nodded, glancing at the sleeping beauty behind her fiancé. He took Matt's hand and shook it. "You're welcome. Take care of her."

"I will," Matt smiled. "She's everything to me."

Stefan nodded again, dropping Matt's hand and leaving the room. As he walked out, he heard Matt whispering to Elena that he loved her.

Letting out a deep breath, Stefan wandered down the halls of the hospital.

_I was close to a fault line_

_Heaven knows you showed up in time_

Six months later, Elena walked up the third flight of stairs and around the corner to her apartment. Even though it made her out of breath, she always took the stairs now. She put her bus pass back in its place in her purse – she couldn't drive yet – and pulled out her house key. She let out a deep breath as a twinge of pain traveled down her arm. Still in a sling, she didn't have full use of her arm yet.

She unlocked the door to her apartment (with only minimal difficulty) and made her way inside. As soon as she was inside she could just feel that something was wrong.

"Matt?" She called out, setting her purse and keys on the table right inside the door. She paused for a moment, a particularly intense spasm in her shoulder taking over. "Ow . . ." She sighed, taking a deep breath. She wandered deeper into the apartment toward the living room. "Matt? Are you home? I need you to—"

She stopped dead in her track when she saw it – a piece of paper on the coffee table. She picked it up, holding a breath in. She glanced around the room, noticing that quite a few things were missing – Matt's things.

Elena's heart quickened as she scanned the note – he was gone. He'd left, moved while she was at physical therapy back to his mom's house in Belle Haven. He'd tried to make it work, to give her time and space, but she wasn't the girl he fell in love with anymore. She'd changed and he hadn't. He couldn't live up to her 'precious elevator savior' and he didn't want to. He waited until she was better and more independent, but he just couldn't live a lie anymore. He couldn't be who she wanted him to be and he was done trying.

Elena dropped the note, her legs failing her as she fell to sit on the couch. It was so hard to breathe . . . Tears fell down her face. She'd never felt so alone.

_Was it real? Now I feel_

_Like I'm never coming down_

Stefan adjusted the strap of his book bag, pulling his phone out of his pocket. It was over six months now since the earthquake but sometimes it felt to him like it had only been yesterday. He never stopped thinking about that day or the woman he'd nearly watched die. She haunted his dreams, Elena, and he couldn't get her out of his head. He didn't know her but he'd held her in his arms as she fought to keep her life.

It affected him, deeply – it actually changed his whole life. After weeks of being holed up in his room, confused, dreaming interchangeably about Elena and Katherine and everything in between, he'd made a decision. He would go to medical school and become a doctor. He hadn't been able to do anything to save Katherine but he'd helped Elena. He held her in his arms and kept her awake and calm. Her fiancé thanked him for bringing her back to him . . . Stefan wanted to help others too. He wanted to prevent other families from losing their loved ones like he had. He wanted to face death and defeat it as often as he could.

Now he was in his fourth month of classes and his life took a completely different turn. He got a job at the local pharmacy to help pay his school bills and he visited his family more often. At first they'd been skeptical about his decision but now they could see how happy it was going to make him and how much he really wanted to do this.

He never stopped thinking about Elena though . . .

_So here we are, set into motion_

_We'll steal a car, crash in the ocean . . ._

Elena wandered into the pharmacy, the slip of paper with her prescription written on it in her hand as she juggled her grocery bag in the same hand. There was a small line at the counter, not much of one but enough of one. She adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder – the fully functioning one, not the near-useless one – as she joined the line and let out a deep breath to calm herself.

This pain just _wasn't_ going away and she didn't know how much longer she could take this. She couldn't even use the arm it hurt so badly. She'd been through prescription after prescription, surgery after surgery, physical therapist after physical therapist and _nothing_. After over a year since the earthquake, the doctors and surgeons and specialists still couldn't find anything to make the paralyzing pain go away.

Nothing.

And it was driving her insane – not to mention costing her a fortune. Medical bills, multiple prescriptions, physical therapy, a few months of home-assistance . . . her bank accounts were severely drained. Single, unemployed and living on long-term disability wasn't exactly the makings for the ritziest of lives.

Of course, she'd had someone who'd promised to take care of her . . . but that didn't really work out. Guess he wasn't too keen on that whole 'in sickness and in health' part of the vows he said he was ready for. Well, it didn't help that she'd pushed all of her friends and family away too . . .

"Miss? Next, please."

She jumped, startled, jarring her shoulder painfully. She let out a hiss, scrunching her face. "Ow . . ."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sca—Elena?" Elena looked up to the man with the sandy brown hair in the white lab coat behind the counter. She held on to her sore shoulder and froze. Those bright, green eyes . . .

"Stefan . . ." She gasped, surprised. She watched, embarrassed, as those green eyes landed on her sling. She knew he was thinking about _that day_ because she was too.

He frowned, putting down his clipboard and rushing around the counter. His hands hovered over both of her shoulders as he looked her over, concern touching his face. "Are you okay?" His concern caught her off guard. "Elena?"

She blinked. "What? Oh . . . um . . ."

"Did something happen?" Stefan's eyes bore deep into hers and she found herself momentarily confused. "Elena?"

"You mean other than a crashing elevator in an earthquake?" She blurted, unable to catch herself. She froze, blushing.

"Yeah . . ." Stefan started.

"Yo, Stef . . . we got customers!" Somebody yelled from behind the counter.

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Ya, Danny, I'm taking my break." Danny waved him off and went back to work. Stefan looked back to Elena. "Walk with me – please?"

"Um . . ." Elena faltered, feeling a bit dizzy. "Actually, why don't we sit? My shoulder's bothering me . . ."

"Of course," Stefan nodded. He carried her purse and grocery bag and led her to a bench right outside of the pharmacy. They sat down and she held on to her shoulder tenderly.

"I never thought I'd get to see you again," Elena spoke softly. Stefan's eyes dropped. "They told me you stayed with me for a while at the hospital but you just disappeared."

"Your fiancé got there . . . I wanted to give you your space," Stefan said.

Elena flinched at the mention of her former fiancé. She swallowed, looking up into those gorgeous green eyes she hadn't been able to stop thinking about. "I wanted to thank you. You saved my life."

Stefan shrugged. "Any person would've—"

"But _you_ were the one who was there," Elena cut him off. She'd wanted to say this since she'd woken up in the hospital and now she had the chance. She reached over with her good arm and covered his hand with her own. "You were so strong through all of it. You were there and even though I was a stranger, you kept me going. It's because of you that I'm here." An ache settled in her shoulder so she shifted a bit.

Stefan's eyes were still on her sling. "You're still hurt."

Elena looked down, nodding. "They can't figure out what's wrong with it. Everything healed but the shoulder still isn't functioning like it should be."

He rested his finger on her chin, pushing it slightly so she'd meet his gaze. "But it's not just that, is it?"

Elena sighed, looking away. Was she really that transparent? "Enough about me. What about you? What have you been up to?"

Stefan dropped his hand, letting out a breath. "I am actually . . . going to medical school now. And working part time here."

Elena smiled knowingly. "You really are a hero."

His cheeks tinged pink a bit for a moment and he chuckled. "Well, I'm working on it anyway." She smiled again. "Though the married life is probably more interesting than loads of homework."

Elena's heart dropped and she looked down. That wound was still fresh and just as painful as her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Stefan asked. Elena found it strange, but he seemed to know exactly what she was feeling.

"I, um . . . Actually, we're not together anymore," She said quietly, swallowing her tears.

"Oh," Stefan gulped.

"He, um, well . . . we kind of just . . . um . . . grew apart," She stuttered.

Stefan studied her for a moment. "He left you, didn't he?"

"I . . ." She let out a breath. "How did you know?"

"The hospital," Stefan told her. "When he came into your hospital room and I was still in there, something about him just . . ." He cleared his throat. "I honestly don't know. Something about him bothered me."

Elena took that in. Matt had never told her he'd actually met Stefan, however brief. He'd just said the nurses told him he'd been there. Why hadn't he said anything?

"You look so tired." Stefan observed. Elena let out a deep breath. How did this man she'd only known for a day know how to read her so well? After knowing Matt for nearly twenty-five years he'd never been able to do that. Stefan looked at his watch. He shook his head. "I really have to get back to work but I want to continue this. I don't want to lose track of you again."

"I . . ." Elena didn't know what to say.

"Please, agree to meet me for dinner," He said. "Or, no . . . I will _make_ you dinner. My mother's family is Italian and she just taught me the best chicken parmesan recipe. I've been wanting to try it out on someone special. I just really want to talk to you more."

Elena blinked, blushing. How did he know her favorite dish? A small smile graced her lips. "Um . . . I would like that."

"Really?" Stefan smiled. Elena nodded. His smiled broadened. "You're going to love it, I know you will." Elena chuckled.

"Stefan!" A shout came from inside the pharmacy.

"Um, here's my card with my number," Stefan reached in his pocket and handed her the small card. "We'll work out the details. I'll even cook for you at your place so you can be comfortable."

"That's sweet," Elena nodded.

He stood, smiling at her as he started to walk away. Elena smiled contently, shifting her aching arm as she stared at his business card. Yep, best earthquake ever . . .

_You and I, caught in a fading light_

_On the longest night . . ._

**the end.**


End file.
